Beverage Container Interface for Flush Valve Cap Engagement

ABSTRACT

Provided is a thermally insulated sleeve to hold a beverage, the thermally insulated sleeve comprising: a substantially circular tubular member extending between three and eight inches along a central axis, the tubular member defining an external surface to be gripped by a user and an internal surface to at least partially envelope a beverage container and thermally insulate the beverage container, the internal surface having an diameter of between two and six inches, a distal end of the tubular member being open to receive a beverage container upon the beverage container being slid into the tubular member; and a beverage cap interface coupled to the tubular member at an end of the tubular member opposite the distal end, wherein the beverage cap interface comprises a receptacle shaped to interface with a flush valve cap of a urinal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present patent claims the benefit of, and is a non-provisional of, U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/154,657, filed 29 Apr. 2015, titled “Beverage Container Interface for Flush Valve Cap Engagement,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present invention relates generally to beverage containers and, more specifically, to interfaces to flush valve caps of toilettes and urinals for beverage containers.

2. Description of the Related Art

The presented beverage container interface (BCI) invention relates to incorporating a recessed form into the bottom of a beverage container or liquid drink receptacle thus turning it into an apparatus that can support itself in a stable, safe, and balanced position when placed on top of a toilet's flush valve that has hexagonal or octagonal hardware atop it, a Flush Valve Cap (FVC). Toilets with a flush valve that possess a hexagonal or octagonal hardware features on their top side near the valve mechanism are found in both public and private areas. Individuals who may need a place to rest a beverage container when there isn't one readily present would be able to place their beverage container on a FVC if that beverage container has a BCI, thus creating an adequate resting place that provides similar stability of a normal shelf or horizontal surface when one wasn't readily available without a BCI being present.

Liquid consumables or beverages (e.g., spirits, sodas, water, juices, beers, and all consumed liquids) are served in many different settings from bars, clubs and restaurants, to professional and amateur sporting events, fairs, as well as many other environments and settings and occasions. When individuals are presented with the proposition of using the restroom they will use a toilet or that frequently has a valve with a hexagonal or octagonal bolt head on the very top surface of the flush valve. If there isn't a shelf, ledge, or convenient resting place for a beverage, individuals may place their glass, cup, or beverage on top of a FVC and the beverage will typically teeter and has a tendency to move about. This is due to the bottom surfaces of a drink or beverage not having a shape or profile that is conducive to it cooperating with the form of a FVC. This can, and does result in drinking receptacles and beverages falling to the floor. Spilled or dropped beverages in a restroom facility can create an interrupted flow of people and disrupt waiting periods, create potentially hazardous breakage and spill areas creating safety concerns, loss of the investment into a beverage, potential damage to the beverage container, and a general inconvenience overall.

SUMMARY

The following is a non-exhaustive listing of some aspects of the present techniques. These and other aspects are described in the following disclosure.

Some aspects include a thermally insulated sleeve to hold a beverage, the thermally insulated sleeve comprising: a substantially circular tubular member extending between three and eight inches along a central axis, the tubular member defining an external surface to be gripped by a user and an internal surface to at least partially envelope a beverage container and thermally insulate the beverage container, the internal surface having an diameter of between two and six inches, a distal end of the tubular member being open to receive a beverage container upon the beverage container being slid into the tubular member; and a beverage cap interface coupled to the tubular member at an end of the tubular member opposite the distal end, wherein the beverage cap interface comprises a receptacle shaped to interface with a flush valve cap of a urinal.

Some aspects include a method of making the above-described apparatus.

Some aspects include a method of using the above-described apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned aspects and other aspects of the present techniques will be better understood when the present application is read in view of the following figures in which like numbers indicate similar or identical elements:

FIG. 1. is a perspective view of a beverage container with an incorporated BCI on the bottom of the container suspended in space above a flush valve.

FIG. 2. is a perspective view of a beverage container with an incorporated BCI on the bottom of the container suspended in space above a flush valve.

FIG. 3. is a perspective view of a beverage container with a BCI fully engaged and resting on top of a flush valve cap.

FIG. 4. is a bottom perspective view looking upwards towards the underside of a beverage container with a BCI on the bottom.

FIG. 5. is a front cross section view of a beverage container containing a BCI on its bottom side sitting on top of the profile of a flush valve cap.

FIG. 6. is an enhanced and magnified view of the interaction of a BCI and flush valve cap.

FIG. 7. is a bottom view of an octagonal BCI.

FIG. 8. is a bottom view of a hexagonal BCI.

FIG. 9. is a bottom view of a multi-sided BCI designed interfaces with both octagonal and hexagonal flush valve caps. This BCI is cross functional to adapt to more than one FVC.

FIG. 10. is a bottom side view of a circular BCI designed to interface with both octagonal and hexagonal flush valve caps. This BCI is cross functional to adapt to more than one FVC.

FIG. 11 shows a thermally insulating sleeve that may include any of the types of beverage cap interfaces described above.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. The drawings may not be to scale. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but to the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

To mitigate the problems described herein, the inventor had to both invent solutions and, in some cases just as importantly, recognize problems overlooked (or not yet foreseen) by others in the field of beverage container design. Indeed, the inventor wishes to emphasize the difficulty of recognizing those problems that are nascent and will become much more apparent in the future should trends in industry continue as the inventor expects. Further, because multiple problems are addressed, it should be understood that some embodiments are problem-specific, and not all embodiments address every problem with traditional systems described herein or provide every benefit described herein. That said, improvements that solve various permutations of these problems are described below.

An embodiment involving a BCI that can work in conjunction with a FVC wherein the FVC interface is disposed in a spatial relation to the BCI, such that the FVC interface is facing away from the BCI. A beverage container resiliently coupled to a BCI would allow said beverage container to interact with a FVC in a more stable manner.

Beverage Container Interfaces could be formed or shaped in numerous ways to achieve a variety of spatial relationship interactions with a FVC that aid in a different, new, or alternate positioning relationship when in contact with one another to include increased balance and steadiness when placed upon and over top a FVC than is possible in a beverage container without a BCI. The BCI can be manufactured and/or fabricated into a beverage container to the have a range of desired clearance to achieve a snug or lose fit to FVCs. Chamfered, radii, and/or sharp corners features with various profiles on the walls and roof comprising the BCI can be made and utilized to achieve the desired result of aBCI fitting over top of a FVC in a manner that allows it to rest in a stable and safe fashion.

While a BCI could be manufactured to mate with only a hexagonal or octagonal FVC, the most effective design is one in which the BCI is cross compatible with both hexagonal and octagonal FVCs. A BCI of this order would need to be a multisided design such that it is able to work and fit over top a either hexagonal or octagonal FVCs, or a BCI which is simply a large enough circular recess that is able to clear the maximum diameter of either a hexagonal or octagonal FVC. A BCI enhances a container's form and function by incorporating a recessed profile into the base or bottom of said beverage container to mount or rest without obstruction over hexagonal or octagonal hardware profiles found on the tops of flush valves. The BCI when integrated into beverage container embodiments such as a glass, bottle, cup, as well as other embodiments, to seamlessly interface and serve as its own holder and shelving system without compromising the functions of being a liquid beverage container.

When an individual moves to utilize a toilet, and has a beverage container in use on their person without a BCI, that individual has a less stable engagement on a FVC if placed upon a FVC. The main hindrance is the flush valve possessing a bolt of hexagonal or octagonal shape, and standard beverage receptacles having a bottom side that can't easily adapt or rest in a stable manner upon a FVC. A BCI that's present in a beverage container allows that beverage container to engage to a FVC interface in a more user friendly format, thus reducing the imbalance and poor interaction between the two objects. By creating a surface on the bottom of a beverage container that works with and adapts to the FVC shape such as the BCI, the beverage container that possesses the BCI works with the FVC to prevent it from potentially falling or moving than it would without the BCI. The standard footprint and format of a FVC creates a surface area and space that would allow a typical beverage container equipped with the BCI to sit atop and rest upon the FVC allowing them to contact one another in a fashion that benefits the beverage container without affecting the fit, form, and function of the FVC. As is, the protruding or raised hexagonal or octagonal shape of many FVCs bolts converts what was once an obstacle or obstruction into a cooperative surface when used with a beverage container possessing a BCI. An individual would simply place their beverage in a position that allows the BCI to rest down upon a FVC.

Some aspects of the invention could include an apparatus comprising of a BCI in a glass or plastic bottle, koozie or insulating sleeve/jacket, aluminum can, metal can, foam or disposable plastic cups, as well as other shapes, sizes, formats, and material constructs of beverage containers and accessories used to accentuate, market, and deliver a beverage to an end user. A beverage container could be designed in a variety of manners and structures to facilitate different marketing ploys, campaigns, and tactics.

The BCI invention being presented will be addressed in further detail in the proceeding descriptions with reference to the included drawings that depict various referred embodiments. FIG. 1., FIG. 2., FIG. 3., and FIG. 4. are isometric perspective views of a beverage container with a BCI embodiment in various stages of spatial distance between a flush valve and the FVC. While FIG. 5., FIG. 6., FIG. 7., FIG. 8., FIG. 9., and FIG. 10. are side and bottom perspective views of a BCI. As shown, FIG. 1. is depicting a beverage container with a BCI spaced away from the FVC. In its environment, C1 would be descending down while in a user's hand on its way to eventually rest upon F and B. The view of the multi- sided beverage container interface 12 embodied and incorporated into a beverage container C1. The BCI 12 will ultimately be able to rest on top of a hexagonal or octagonal bolt head B flush valve cap located on the top of a flush valve F. The BCI 12 permits clearance to avoid impediment where it to be set over top the hexagonal or octagonal bolt head B flush valve cap.

FIG. 2. is an isometric perspective that represents the embodiment of a multi-sided BCI 12 incorporated into another style beverage container C2. This beverage container C2 has the ability to interface with the flush valve F and its hexagonal or octagonal bolt head B flush valve cap. In its environment, C2 would be descending down while in a user's hand on its way to eventually rest upon F and B. As shown in FIG.3. the beverage container C2 and its bottom side that contains a BCI 12 is able to envelop, rest on top and encompass 13 the flush valve F and its cap or top side in a collaborative and cooperative manner.

FIG. 4. shows receptacle C2 and flush valve F from a position of looking upward at each. The cavity that the multi-sided BCI 12 embodiment possesses as represented in receptacle C2 permits level placement onto the flush valve F.

FIG. 5. presents a side cross section view of a beverage container C3 containing a multi-sided BCI 12 with direct engagement 17 and compatibility to a flush valve F. The multi-sided BCI 12 permits the beverage container C3 to rest level and flush on top of the flush valve F while bypassing interference with the hexagonal or octagonal bolt head B present on a flush valve F unit. The walls and top side of the multi-sided BCI 12 are primarily clear of contact with the hexagonal or octagonal bolt head B, however some contact between BCI 12 may be present upon a hexagonal or octagonal bolt head B or other areas of the flush valve F and be fully functional. FIG. 6. shows a close up cross sectional side view of FIG. 5. and its static and resting position while atop a flush valve F. The resting position 17 a of the beverage container C3 further demonstrates the multi-sided BCI 12 permitting ample clearance to sufficiently allow the beverage container C3 to mount upon the flush valve F and its hexagonal or octagonal bolt head B.

FIG. 7. shows a bottom side view of an alternate octagonal BCI 18. A BCI of this geometry would limit engagement to a flush valve F that only possesses an octagonal bolt head B.

FIG. 8. depicts a bottom side view of an alternate hexagonal BCI 19. A BCI of this geometry would limit engagement to a flush valve F that only possesses a hexagonal bolt head B.

FIG. 9. represents a bottom side view of a 24-sided BCI 20 that allows engagement to a flush valve F that possesses either hexagonal or octagonal bolt head B formats.

FIG. 10. shows a bottom side view of an alternate cylindrical BCI 21. A BCI of this geometry with enough clearance to clear the major span or either a hexagonal or octagonal bolt head B on a flush valve F would permit adequate function for securing and staging a beverage container.

FIG. 11 shows a thermally insulating sleeve. The sleeve may include any of the beverage cap interfaces described above. In some embodiments, the sleeve is a koozie made from neoprene, EVA, or various closed or open cell foam materials. In some cases, the sleeve and cap interface may be integrally formed as a monolithic body of material. In some embodiments, the sleeve may be injection molded separately from the cap, e.g., the cap may be injection molded first, from a relatively rigid material, and the cap may be inserted into a mold for the sleeve, which may be molded later with a softer material. In some embodiments, the sleeve defines a circular cylindrical volume shaped to receive a beverage. The sleeve may extend between 3 and 8 inches, and the interior may have a diameter of between 2 and 6 inches, in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the sleeve as an R-value of greater than 0.1, e.g., greater than 0.3, and in some cases, approximately equal to 0.5.

It should be understood that the description and the drawings are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but to the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. Further modifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description. Accordingly, this description and the drawings are to be construed as illustrative only and are for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the general manner of carrying out the invention. It is to be understood that the forms of the invention shown and described herein are to be taken as examples of embodiments. Elements and materials may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein, parts and processes may be reversed or omitted, and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the invention. Changes may be made in the elements described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims. Headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description.

As used throughout this application, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). The words “include”, “including”, and “includes” and the like mean including, but not limited to. As used throughout this application, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the content explicitly indicates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “an element” or “a element” includes a combination of two or more elements, notwithstanding use of other terms and phrases for one or more elements, such as “one or more.” The term “or” is, unless indicated otherwise, non-exclusive, i.e., encompassing both “and” and “or.” Terms describing conditional relationships, e.g., “in response to X, Y,” “upon X, Y,”, “if X, Y,” “when X, Y,” and the like, encompass causal relationships in which the antecedent is a necessary causal condition, the antecedent is a sufficient causal condition, or the antecedent is a contributory causal condition of the consequent, e.g., “state X occurs upon condition Y obtaining” is generic to “X occurs solely upon Y” and “X occurs upon Y and Z.” Such conditional relationships are not limited to consequences that instantly follow the antecedent obtaining, as some consequences may be delayed, and in conditional statements, antecedents are connected to their consequents, e.g., the antecedent is relevant to the likelihood of the consequent occurring. Statements in which a plurality of attributes or functions are mapped to a plurality of objects (e.g., one or more processors performing steps A, B, C, and D) encompasses both all such attributes or functions being mapped to all such objects and subsets of the attributes or functions being mapped to subsets of the attributes or functions (e.g., both all processors each performing steps A-D, and a case in which processor 1 performs step A, processor 2 performs step B and part of step C, and processor 3 performs part of step C and step D), unless otherwise indicated. Further, unless otherwise indicated, statements that one value or action is “based on” another condition or value encompass both instances in which the condition or value is the sole factor and instances in which the condition or value is one factor among a plurality of factors. Unless otherwise indicated, statements that “each” instance of some collection have some property should not be read to exclude cases where some otherwise identical or similar members of a larger collection do not have the property, i.e., each does not necessarily mean each and every. Limitations as to sequence of recited steps should not be read into the claims unless explicitly specified, e.g., with explicit language like “after performing X, performing Y,” in contrast to statements that might be improperly argued to imply sequence limitations, like “performing X on items, performing Y on the X′ed items,” used for purposes of making claims more readable rather than specifying sequence. Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the discussion, it is appreciated that throughout this specification discussions utilizing terms such as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining” or the like refer to actions or processes of a specific apparatus, such as a special purpose computer or a similar special purpose electronic processing/computing device.

In this patent, certain U.S. patents, U.S. patent applications, or other materials (e.g., articles) have been incorporated by reference. The text of such U.S. patents, U.S. patent applications, and other materials is, however, only incorporated by reference to the extent that no conflict exists between such material and the statements and drawings set forth herein. In the event of such conflict, the text of the present document governs. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A thermally insulated sleeve to hold a beverage, the thermally insulated sleeve comprising: a substantially circular tubular member extending between three and eight inches along a central axis, the tubular member defining an external surface to be gripped by a user and an internal surface to at least partially envelope a beverage container and thermally insulate the beverage container, the internal surface having an diameter of between two and six inches, a distal end of the tubular member being open to receive a beverage container upon the beverage container being slid into the tubular member; and a beverage cap interface coupled to the tubular member at an end of the tubular member opposite the distal end, wherein the beverage cap interface comprises a receptacle shaped to interface with a flush valve cap of a urinal or toilet.
 2. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the beverage cap interface is configured to resiliently deform upon the beverage cap interface being mated to the flush valve cap.
 3. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the beverage cap interface defines a substantially hexagonal cylindrical volume.
 4. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the beverage cap interface defines a substantially cylindrical volume with a base having 24 sides.
 5. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the beverage cap interface is configured to clip onto the top of a urinal.
 6. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the beverage cap interface is integrally formed with the tubular member.
 7. The sleeve of claim 6, wherein the beverage cap interface is integrally formed with the tubular member in an injection molding process within a single mold.
 8. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the tubular member comprises neoprene.
 9. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the tubular member comprises ethylene-vinyl acetate.
 10. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the tubular member comprises a closed-cell foam.
 11. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the tubular member is formed by injection molding a foam in a mold with the beverage cap interface previously disposed therein, the beverage cap interface being made of a different material from the tubular member and injection molded before the tubular member.
 12. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the beverage cap interface comprises: an aperture to allow condensation liquid to escape.
 13. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the beverage cap interface comprises: substantially planar sidewalls having respective normal vectors that are non-orthogonal to a central axis of the tubular member.
 14. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the beverage cap interface comprises: an interior volume defining a generally octagonal cylindrical shape.
 15. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the beverage cap interface comprises: an interior volume having a depth of between 0.2 and 1 inches.
 16. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the beverage cap interface comprises:
 17. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the beverage cap interface comprises: a chamfered edge.
 18. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the beverage cap interface comprises: at least three resilient members shaped and positioned to flex away from one another upon the flush valve cap of the urinal being inserted into the beverage cap interface.
 19. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the beverage cap interface comprises: means for securing a beverage to the flush valve cap.
 20. The sleeve of claim 1, comprising: a beverage configured to be inserted into the sleeve. 